Journal-box lid



Nov. 29, 192?.

c. J. LUCAS ET AL JOURNAL BOX LID Original Filed April 30, 1926 w E R m A U ticular artyI attain by means of the structure described in the specification and illustrated Patented Nov. 29,1921.

i sires insa ti rarer 5 m;

oHRIsrIaN J. LUCASANDARTHUR G. roncn. or BBACKENRIDGE, l nnnsvtvanie, ASSIGNQRS 'ro ALLEGHENY STEEL COMPANY, aconroae'rron or PENNSYLVANIA.

JOU NAL-Box LID.

- Application filed April so, 1 26.,jsis1 No. ioarua Renewed. September 17, 1926;

This invention relates tojournal' boxes for railway car trucks and more particularlyto lids for such boxes and springs forclosing the same. a

The standard A. R .',A.I'(A;meric'an Railway Assn.) journal box for railway car trucks isfprovidedwithl a lid *or coverhinged along itstop edgeftothe box and with a spring by means of which the lid is held in either open or closed position. Various types of. springs or sprlng deviceshavebeen suggested; for use inthis connection; but

with those most commonly used, the lid, when in closed position, bears tightly only on the lower box face and stands away varying distances from the side and topfbox faces. This is necessarily so on account of the construction and operation of this spring. Within the The lid and lid closing means to which re ference has been made s dlsclosed inhan application for" patent filed by Leigh Hostettler and employs a torsion spring and a spring tensioning member which ismount-v I v j v lsubstant1al clearance between their nner curved surfaces and the hinge pin which ed on the hinge pin and bears on the spring on the opposite side thereof from thelid.

proper.

a device .broadly functioning in the same manner as thedevice of'saidHostettler ap plication, but which is simpler and cheaper for the reason that it avoids the use of V mounted that itsclosingpressure is applied This, as well as other objects whichfwill spring tensioning member.

readily appear to those skilled in this "pan in the drawings accompanying and part of this application.

In the drawings, F gure form ng l is an endelevation of a journal box showing this invention in connection therewith'andFig. Qisa sides.

away and taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. In the drawings, the journal box proper is provided with a fiatfaced top wall 3, a flat faced bottom wall 4 and sidewalls 5 w-hich also have flat facesand which lie in the plane of the top and bottom walls. The mouthformed by these walls is rectangular and is inclined as shown, is now common. c

*The upper portion of the box proper is projected in the formof a box h1g6 formed with a central spring bearing cainmed portion 7 and rounded "side portions 8. The

cammed portion has two cam faces Wand 7 The lug is provided with a pin-hole 9 which A hinge pin *10 lies within the pin-hole 1" and projects outwardly therefrom beyond v i eac hend of the high toreceivethelid last few years, journaljboxhd i closing spring means have appeared and at The journal box lid is of rectangular outlineand is preferably stamped from sheet metal such as steel. "The lid chosen for illustration is provided with :1. depending marginal flange 11 and a fingerpiece 12 which projects from its lower edge; thelid is stiffened by being-embossed as shown.

The lid scrolls 13 project upwardly from the lid body proper and embrace the hingepin '10Yonopposite sides of the box lug and are so formed as to provide spaces on opposite sides of the box lug or between the ends of the boxing andthe lid scrolls; The scrolls'are. so formedas to provide theyembi'ace. The clearance is preferably greatest at right angles or perpendicular'to the plane of the lid proper or the bex'face when the lid is in closed, position 1 c The lid isheld in closed position by means of thespring which is so formed and so tothe center of the lid whereby thelid is caused to bear evenly oVerthe entire box face, which includes the top, bottom and The spring is preferably formed from round steel wire and carriesan anti-friction roller 15 which bears on one or the other of thecan1 faces of the box lug depending lid is in open or in closed i positioni The roller is placed in position at the center of the length of wire from which the springis made and before thesame is bent to form;

The spring on opposite sides of roller 15 is provided with two diverging portions 16 preferably formed'withja compound curve as shown Fig. 2. Each of' the portions 16 at its lower end is bent into the form of a loop 17 and then extends upwardly on a curve 18 and is coiled around the hinge pin as shown at 19. w The coils are closed but fit the hinge pin more ,or less loosely. From the coils, the spring extends downwardly and is curved as shown at 20 to'the ends thereof which are inwardly bent one toward the other as shown at 21, Fig, 1, so as to lie within the depression .22 formed in the lid face vfor their reception.

The ,ends ofthe spring are anchored within depression 22 by means of a retaining plate23 whichvis secured to the lidby centrally disposedaivetsi 2t. I

Fromthe preceding description, vtaken in connection with the drawings, it will be apparent that the spring device exerts its pressure at the center of the Iidand will cause the lidto bear evenlyover the entire box face, since :there is nothing tending to lift the top of the lid away from the box face. The function ofret'aining plate 23 is -to tie the box lid and spring together when the lid is in open position and when moving from open to closed position.

From the construction shown, it Wlll be apparent that variationsdue to IDHCC-HIaCIGS in manufacture or those arising from wear of the parts are compensated for, since the device .is [self fitting.

, Having thus described our invention, what weclaim is:-- a I 1. In a-journalbox, the combination with the box proper providedwith a spring hearing lug and having a lid pivotally connected thereto by means of a hinge pin which extends through the lug, of means for applying a substantially equally distributed yielding pressure against the outer face of the lid nearthe center thereof, said means comprising uspring element having its ends anchored tolthelid, intermediate portions which encircle the hinge pinon opposite, sides of said. lug-and a portionwhiclr cooperates with said lug. 7

2. In a journal box, the combination with the boxproper provided-with a spring hearing lug and having alid pivotally connected thereto by means, of a hinge pin which extends through the lug, of means for applyin}; asubstantially equally distributed yieldingpressure against the outer face of the lid near the center thereof, said means comprisinjgia spring element having its ends anchored' to the lid, intermediate portions which encircle the hinge pin on ,opposite sides of said lu and a portion carrying an anti-friction roller which bears on said lug.

3. In a journal box, the combination with the box proper provided with a spring hearing lug and having a lid pivotally connected thereto, of means for applyin a substantially equally distributed yieldin" pressure against" the outer face of'the'li ncar'thc center, thereof, said means comprising a double bilaterally symmetrical spring, one portion of each half of which isanchored to the lid, intermediateportions which encircle the hinge pin on opposite sides of said lug and a portion which extends from those portions'which encircle the hinge pin and which cooperates with said lug.

4;. In a journal box, the combination with the box proper provided with a spring bearing lug and having a lid pivotally connected thereto, of means for applying a substantially equally distributed yielding pressure against the outer face. of, thehd near the centerrthereof, said means comprisin a double bilaterally symmetrical spring with the free end of each half anchored to the lid, intermediate portions which encircle the hinge pin on opposite sides of said ing and a portion whichcooperates'with saidlug.

5. Ina journal box, the combination with the box proper provided with a spring hearing lug and having a lid pivotally connected thereto by means of a hinge pin which extendsthrough the lug, of mcansfor applying a substantially equally distributed yielding pressure against the outer face of the lid near the center thereof; said means comprising a double bilaterally symmetrical spring with the free end of each half anchored to the lid, spaced intermediate portions each of which is coiled about the hinge pin and a portion connecting the halves and carrying ion anti-friction roller which bears on said 6. In a journal box, the combination with the box proper provided with a spring bearing lug and having a lid pivotally connected thereto by means of a hinge pin which extends through the lug, of means for applying a substantially equally distributed yielding pressure against the outer face of the lid near the center thereof; said means comprising a double bilaterally symmetrical spring with the free end of each half anchored to the lid, spaced intermediate portions each of which is coiled about the lnnge pin and a portion which cooperates with said lug.

'Z. In a journalbox, the combination with thebox proper provided with a spring bearing lag and having a lid pivotally connected thereto by means of a hinge pin which extends through the lug, of means for applyinga substantially equally distributed ielding pressure against the outer face of e lid near the center thereof; said meanscomprisng. a p ng m nt he ng t endemchored to the lid near the center thereof, lnterinecliet e portions which enclrcle the hinge pin on opposite sides of said lugancl a portion carrying an anti-friction roller which bears on said lug; the portions of the sprlng element extending from the ends to the hinge pin being curved away from the lid and the portions extending from the hinge pin-to said roller being bent upon themselves.

In testimony whereoh'we have hereunto 10 set our names this 19th day of April, 1926.

CHRISTIAN J. LUCAS. ARTHUR G. PONCE. 

